Born: February 10, 1974 - Tokoroa
Test record: 24 Tests (1993, 1995, 1998-2001) - 4 tries, 52 goals, 1 field goal (121 points)
Tours: 1993 tour of Britain and France, 1995 World Cup, 1998 tour of Britain, 1999 Tri Nations, 2000 World Cup
Phenomenally talented and versatile, Henry Paul parlayed a shock Kiwis call-up as a 19-year-old into a 24-Test tenure while carving out a career as one of the best players in British rugby league.
Born in Tokoroa, Paul was a Te Atatu Roosters junior and broke into the club's senior team in 1992. The following season he was selected as Junior Kiwis captain for the tour of England. The fullback's sparkling performances - and the simultaneously touring senior Kiwis' struggles - saw Paul sensationally drafted into the New Zealand squad.
Paul debuted off the bench against Widnes, the Kiwis' penultimate match of the British leg of their tour, then made a further three appearances in France - including starts at wing and centre.
The goalkicking teenager stayed on in England with Wakefield Trinity for the 1993-94 winter, before returning home for a short Lion Red Cup stint with Waitakere City Raiders. Paul was one of the fledgling Auckland Warriors' early signings but sought a release to join Wigan, which the Warriors reluctantly granted in return for a reduced transfer fee for Great Britain prop Andy Platt.
Paul enjoyed Regal Trophy, Challenge Cup final and Premiership Trophy final wins in his first season with Wigan, predominantly playing fullback after starting out at fullback. He then played both home Tests against France and in the 3-0 series loss in Australia, coming off the bench in the first three matches of the mid-season program then slotting in on the wing for the last two Tests against the green-and-golds.
Showing his adaptability, he came off the bench in the World Cup pool win over Tonga, lined up at five-eighth against Papua New Guinea and was brilliant at hooker in the gallant extra-time semi-final loss to Australia.
Paul was unavailable for the Kiwis in 1996-97 - a period that included a short rugby union stint with Bath - but was a vital cog of Frank Endacott's side for the next three years, alongside younger brother Robbie.
Henry was at hooker again for New Zealand's famous 22-16 Anzac Test win in 1998 and came off the bench in all three matches of the series win in Great Britain at the end of the year, scoring tries in the latter two Tests.
The instinctively brilliant Paul was arguably the bench player on the field at hooker in a 20-14 Anzac Test loss in 1999 and lined up in the No.9 again as the Kiwis upset the Kangaroos in the Tri Nations opener, kicking four goals. He scored a try and kicked 11 goals in a 74-0 rout of Tonga from five-eighth and remained in that spot for the 26-4 win over Great Britain (kicking five goals) and slotted six goals in a nail-biting 22-20 defeat to Australia in the final.
Pitched in at centre for the 52-0 Anzac Test loss in 2000, Paul reverted to five-eighth at the World Cup that year and scored a try, kicked 24 goals and landed a field goal in five matches - passing a century of Test points in the process. He played once more for New Zealand, lining up at five-eighth in a 28-10 defeat to Australia in Wellington in mid-2001.
Paul helped Wigan to an inaugural Super League title in 1998 before joining Robbie at Bradford. He won the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man of the match in the 1999 Super League grand final despite the Bulls' loss to St Helens, while he took out the Lance Todd Trophy in his team's 2000 Challenge Cup final triumph and helped the Bulls beat Wigan in the 2001 Super League decider.
Switching to rugby union on a more permanent basis with Gloucester, Paul represented England in six Tests from 2002-04 and won a silver medal in Sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The 32-year-old returned to Super League with Harlequins, playing with the London club from 2006-08, then had further rugby union stints with Leeds Carnegie and Rotherham.